Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a busy week in St. Paul as omnibus bills have been rolling out and committees have spent time reviewing these enormous bills that will constitute the state’s new budget.
I remain as concerned as ever about the Democrats’ plan to dramatically increase spending by more than 35% when compared to the last two-year budget that was approved in 2021. What’s more, with Democrats proposing to increase net overall spending by more than the state’s $17.5 billion budget surplus, they will also have to raise taxes to cover the new spending.
While nothing is final yet, I imagine that you can expect to see new payroll taxes that will take money directly out of your paycheck, new delivery taxes making your Amazon order more expensive, increased license tab fees, and more.
As always, I will be doing everything I can to try and stop these reckless spending proposals and onerous tax increases from becoming law, but the reality is that Democrats have the votes in the House to pass these policies. That’s why it’s so important to reach out to vulnerable Democrat Senators and urge them to vote “no” on these bills. Democrats have a slim, 1-seat majority in the Senate so if one "brave" DFL senator stands up and says “no” they can stop this insanity.
Gun Control Update
House Democrats have buried two controversial gun control proposals deep inside their 312-page public safety omnibus bill. One proposal would create undue burdens, preventing law-abiding citizens from freely exercising their 2nd Amendment rights through new onerous firearm transfer requirements. The other raises several concerns regarding the suspension of someone’s constitutional rights without due process.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Democrats are going through with their plans to gut the 2nd Amendment. However, it is extremely disappointing that they are burying these bills deep inside a massive omnibus bill. If they want to strip the 2nd Amendment rights away from Minnesotans, they should at least have the courage to debate these issues on their own merits and bring them before the House as standalone bills.
I’m an easy “NO” vote on this bill.
Taxpayer Spending Spree
In another sign that Democrats and Gov. Walz have zero concept of fiscal restraint or responsibility, we learned this week that Gov. Walz will be spending $17,000 a month of your money to rent a lakeside mansion on Sunfish Lake as the governor’s residence undergoes renovations.
While all of us struggle with soaring inflation, high-interest rates, and more tax increases on the way, it is incredibly tone-deaf for Gov. Walz to sign taxpayers up to pay $17,000 a month in rent for the next 18 months.
I believe there were many other responsible options for the administration to choose from but why consider something less than what you feel you're entitled to?
Staying in Touch
Please be sure to reach out to me to share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn.gov.
God bless,
Josh